This week marks the beginning of the Oscar season rush in the independent film world, so look for more packed FYCs like this one. The two recommendations this week both revolve around looking for the truth. A Serious Man follows a man desperately seeking for some small bit of existential truth, while the alternate-reality comedy The Invention of Lying follows a man who realizes he can perfectly bend the truth. The rest of this week's major releases are courteous enough to divide themselves into two categories: the could-be-good-if-not-too-derivative and you-already-know-if-this-interests-you-or-not. Zombieland looks like it'll be original and spunky enough to step out of Shaun of the Dead's zomcom shadow, but Afterschool, being heralded as the arrival of a fresh new voice in American cinema, is really going to have to wow when it looks like a blatant tone-to-theme rip-off of the work of Michael Hanneke. Meanwhile Whip It! and Chelsea On The Rocks sit expectantly at Camp Foregone Conclusion.
A SERIOUS MAN
What: The umpteenth film from the venerable fraternal pair of Joel and Ethan Cohen, A Serious Man is the story of a Jewish professor living in a midwestern suburb in the late 60s, yearning to come to terms with his religion and his life in increasingly difficult, and bizarre modern times.Where: LA - The Landmark, Arclight Hollywood, NY - Landmark Sunshine Cinema, Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
Why: A Serious Man is a welcome return to the more realistic vein of comedy after several slapstick affairs (see: Intolerable Cruelty, Burn After Reading, The Ladykillers). I could go on about how this is the most personal film they've every made or how refreshing it is to see a film populated completely with non-'name' characters actors, but it's the Coens, if you're not a believer of them yet, this definitely isn't the film that's going to convert you.
THE INVENTION OF LYING
What: The first feature film directed by Ricky Gervais (co-creator and star of "The Office", and "Extras"), The Invention of Lying is about a world that is seemingly the same as ours, except for the fact that the concept of lying doesn't exist. That is until one day, when Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) suddenly discovers the ability to lie and then proceeds to use it for his own personal gain.Where: Wide release
Why: Although at first glance The Invention of Lying seems to be little more than a by-the-numbers magic man comedy (see: Bruce Almighty, Liar Liar, Click, etc.), early reviews suggest that it's actually a rather subversive deconstruction of the genre - which isn't too surprising given Ricky Gervais' involvement behind the camera.
Everything Else
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
MORE THAN A GAME
THE HORSE BOY
AFTERSCHOOL
CHELSEA ON THE ROCKS
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